I keep hearing about the drought going on in various regions of California and I've experienced first had some of the problems one can encounter on lakes like Shasta. While one can attribute drought to a lack of precipitation we can also look at the vast system of water redistribution which moves water from natural reservoirs to man-made systems and urban sprawl.

I could harp on about the global warming debate and suggest the theory that small increases in temperatures over large regions affect thermal conditions and alter weather patterns globally (The lake effect in the great lakes area is a hands on demonstration of how anomalous conditions affect regional weather).

Instead I'd like to ask a question of everyone. Never mind the hydrocarbon consumption or other energy consumption issues for a second (yes I know global warming and... extremely large volumes of water are used in the hydrocarbon production processes).

Do you make a concious effort to conserve water? With urban centers drawing water from outsourced systems every dropped saved theoretically reduces the stress on your reservoirs.

Are you concious of when and how you water your lawn, plants, etc?

Do you take excessively long showers? Run the water extra lengths before getting in?

Do you have water saving appliances? Dishwashers, laundering, etc?

Do you do something so simple as stop the tap while shaving and or brushing your teeth?

Oh I know I've heard the argument that water is a renewable source, and while this is true for most cases (fresh water is pumped into confined aquifers in the case of oil production and is also lost in some other industrial processes). But that water comes from areas outside of urban centers. As you draw waters into man-made concrete jungles it has to come from somewhere.

Consider some of the advantages of reduced water consumption.

In some cases it means lower utility bills.

Water saved is water not pulled from our reservoirs.

Less water consumption reduces energy costs associated with transporting, cleaning to drinking standards, and cleaning to waste standards, therefore you have net energy savings.

If you change your watering frequencies (lawn, plants, etc) it reduces water loss to evaporation increasing water uptake and providing healthier greenery.

I'm not asking you to go out and make huge changes. I'm asking you to consider little changes. Enough little changes when you have millions of people add up to significant change.

i completely agree with you. there are definitely bigger changes we could make, but not as many people are willing to sacrifice certain things and limit themselves...or they just don't care.

but i believe little changes can really add up if they become a trend through a bigger population. i haven't thought a lot about environmental conservation and awareness until the past couple years when i've been surrounded by a small community of students who are aware of these issues and care about them. i'm currently in an intro level environmental science class and it's already influenced my opinions on these issues and day to day living.

so 1. yes, probably not as much as i could, but i try 2. i dont' have a lawn to water... 3. no, and no 4. not that i know of 5. yes

Joe, honestly little steps like watering after the peak of the day make a huge impact. Seeing people watering their lawns in the middle of the day drives me crazy, the evaporation is severe and the grass is photosynthesizing at it peaks in the middle of the day, water stops that. It's almost as frustrating as people watering on rainy days!!

Plus the more so-cal saves water the less gets diverted from nor-cal, and then we can all be happy and lose those retarded nor/so-Cal stickers and just be happy Californians together. Plus my lake is almost a creek, so any help anyone can offer, I'll take it!

There are just too many people in an area that shouldn't have that many. Inland in the West Coast/SouthWest is not really the most ideal place to have cities, but there are a lot, and they are big. WIsconsin isn't that much better as far as living conditions go but we have tons of water, always.... Mostly beacuse there are so few people, but between the great lakes, wisco's 15,000+ lakes and rivers, and snow snow snow it is just crazy to think of water levels being an issue... Flooding every year is an issue, the exact opposite problem. Even like ATL is almost dried up... I don't know how people don't see it coming like 20 years before it happens... I remember reading something about ATL panic because of the water shortage but then it said they have been in a 100 year drought. DUH! I don't get how that simple math couldn't be handled by 1 Enviro-Engineer... Total Water = + (rain) - people's usage When you take more than you get, population growth and less and less rain it seems clear sooner or later you're screwed.

I waste water like crazy I'm sure.... which is wrong but by no means is going to affect us here, unless everyone else starts pulling water from the great lakes...

basically years and years ago people settled in areas that should hold a lot of people.

I thought it was kind of interesting how quickly this thread dropped off considering what I've read about low water levels throughout most of Cali and the Southwest. I know because of a low snow pack this winter in BC, it might be a tough year up here as well. And to answer the questions: 1. Yes 2. Yes 3. No & No 4. Yes 5. Yes

Residential water consumption only accounts for 5-10% of the water used and agriculture uses the rest in California. They get the water at a ridiculously low price. And why are we growing rice and cotton, two of the most water instensive crops in the desert?

Living my whole life in Cali I know most of us here know all about drought and conservation. We are after all in California(Its 1/2 desert 1/2 paradise and Californians wouldn't have it any other way). I grew up in a 10 year drought and use what I would bet those of you living in wet areas consider rationing levels every day of my life. Its how we do it out here. So when I hear things like turn off the sink while brushing it just cracks me up that all of you don't already. I remember my mom saying "If its brown flush it down. If its yellow let it mellow" like Im sure many others in Ca have heard. When we cut back on water here all the lawns go dead thats the only extra water we use 3 times a week.

Jeffrey, 1/2 of the water and energy conservation appliances you use were created through some crazy legislation here in Ca. Everything from emmission standards to sprinkler timers. We can't put wood burning fire places in houses. And on certain days we can't use them or BBQs. Man your preaching to the biggest choir. Sorry Steve-o I didnt read everyones response until I posted. But that proves my point about conservation here.

yes we conserve water at every chance we get. however I do not even have a water meter on my house, I pay a flat rate no matter how much I use so I do not get any reduction in my bill for using less water. California is the epicenter of the water wars, read the story of Mono Lake and Los Angeles sucking it and the entire Owens Valley dry...until they were sued by the environmentalists(thank god!) by the way, environmentalists are those people who are concerned enough to do something about the destruction of the environment...you know that thing we(and all living things)all depend on every day of our lives to live in. A certain amount of water must be allowed to just run out to the ocean to support life along its course. California and especially Southern California needs to get into the business of desalination, especially if rising sea levels is actually a real thing.(you know, the melting of the poles, glaciers, etc)

In regard to global warming I'm in the camp that says it has been happening for 1000's of years and is a natural cycle(Yosemite created by huge glaciers that melted long ago)